The Office of Immigration and Nationality informed the authorities of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Finland, France, Poland, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Italy, Sweden and Slovakia via the DubliNet system that effective as of 23 June 2015, Hungary is suspending the acceptance of Dublin transfers for an indefinite term.

Hungary’s asylum system is over-burdened, with the largest workload from among the Member States of the EU affected by illegal migration. Hungary is taking a share in the management of the situation caused by illegal migration beyond its means.

The Hungarian Police apprehended 60,620 persons on Hungary’s external Schengen borders, including 60,089 persons on the Hungarian-Serbian border section, due to the illegal crossing of Hungary’s state borders up to 22 June 2015.

Hungary has exhausted the resources at its disposal. The situation calls for prompt action, and in the escalated situation which has recently evolved Hungary must take measures before the European Union adopts its decisions on the matter. Until the available capacity in Hungary is enlarged in consequence of pending measures, Hungary will not accept Dublin transfers. In the spirit of EU solidarity, Hungary has asked the Member States of the Dublin system to cancel their pre-planned transfers and not to plan new transfers for the time being. The Hungarian authorities are working on the enlargement of the necessary capacity, but this takes time.

Hungary has fully honoured its obligations undertaken in international conventions, has registered applicants under the Dublin procedure, and has taken their fingerprints. In consequence of the fact that Hungary was compelled to do away with the possibility of detaining in alien policing custody illegal migrants travelling on from Hungary in the wake of an EU infringement procedure, Hungary as a user of the Eurodac system (a system for comparing the fingerprints of persons illegally residing in or entering the territory of the Member States) has become identifiable as the country where illegal migrants first crossed the border illegally. At the same time, it is sufficient to take a look at any map to see: an asylum-seeker coming from Syria or Afghanistan filing an application in Hungary must have crossed the borders of at least four states, likewise illegally, before submitting his or her application to the Hungarian immigration authority.

(Ministry of Interior/MTI)